The Marauderette: SBHG
by rabfanficsss
Summary: Hermione will do anything to save Harry, her brother in all but blood, even if it means travelling back in time with no means of returning, losing all her memories and being reborn as a girl who shouldn't have existed. Will she alter the timeline to save Harry, even if she can't remember him? And will she fall in love along the way? Marauders Era, Sirius/Hermione, fluff and lemons!
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

"I don't have long left. I'm sorry I have to entrust this to you, Miss Granger, but I can think of no other individual more capable. You, of course, have the option to decline." His blue eyes were lacking the twinkle they normally held, his blackened hand hidden beneath glittering mauve robes.

"I don't really though. I won't leave Harry, no matter the cost. He's my brother in all but blood." She said firmly. Dumbledore's harsh blue eyes softened slightly and she could almost see tears in his eyes.

"You're brave, Miss Granger." He said lowly. Silence enveloped the room for a moment before she looked him in the eyes.

"What will happen to my parents? They'll be hunted. Tortured. Killed." She hated the way her voice cracked, the weakness that still shone through slightly.

"Not if they're hidden."

"They won't go along with it. They'll want to be with me. They'll never agree."

"Then," he paused, tiredly. "Perhaps an executive decision must be made." But surely he couldn't mean…?

"Obliviation?" She felt ashamed of herself for knowing what he was referring to. Ashamed that she had already thought of it, long before this conversation. The Headmaster smiled unhappily, resolutely.

"For people like you and I, Miss Granger — sometimes the end justifies the means." The two of them fell back into silence for a moment until she looked up at him, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Something has been bothering me about the prophecy," she confessed, quietly. It was alarming to her how calmly she said it, how monotonous her voice stayed. "Neither can live while the other survives." He didn't correct her, didn't reassure her that things will be fine. He merely nodded, solemnly.

She knows it, then.

"And if he asks me?" she said, feeling sick. "Am I supposed to lie? Tell him he'll live and grow old with Ginny and be happy? That he's not got a piece of Voldemort inside him?" They stared at one another. He looked different now; brittle and cold — or maybe she was finally seeing the flaws in the design.

"Sometimes a lie can be a kindness." His half-moon spectacles were crooked. She looked up at him with wide inquisitive eyes and he half-realised that she was still a child.

"Are you afraid, Sir?"

He let the question hang in the air. "To die, you mean?" She gave a curt nod.

"No," he said. "When you're as old and tired as I am, a long sleep is welcomed. The weary will envy me."

She likes the sound of that lie.

—

A dark mark was suspended above them, vibrant green and glittering. It was almost beautiful. The old wizard lay broken on the floor, his dead body bathed in green light. Hermione watched on, splattered with blood that was not her own. The constellation of skull and snake was reflected in his still crooked glasses. Just behind it lay his eyes, closed and relaxed in a slumber from which he won't wake. He was telling the truth, after all.

She does envy him.

—

They were outside the tent, bracing the cold wind, standing shoulder to shoulder. Trees surrounded them from all angles. The clearing she'd found was barely big enough to fit the tent.

The screaming had been going on for a few minutes by now.

"Is it real?" He whispered to her. The locket looked heavy on his chest; his shoulders slumped from the weight of it. The chain had left bright red marks around his neck. His eyes were frantic as he searched the darkness. He looked half-mad. "Do you hear it, Mia?" He asked again, looking searchingly into her eyes.

She knew it was real. She could hear it too, each scream piercing her soul with guilt. Someone who hadn't been as smart as she whilst they were trying to hide, someone who had been caught by the Snatchers.

She knew Harry wanted to help; he was always so eager to save everyone, even if it cost him his own life.

"I don't hear anything, Harry. It must be the Horcrux."

Eventually the screaming stopped. And she knew somebody was dead because of her and she could feel the blood slicking her hands. But she looked at Harry who had finally got to sleep, who had finally deposited the locket into her hands. She saw his eyes move under his eyelids as they did whenever he had bad dreams and she was overwhelmed with love she felt for this boy, her brother in all but blood.

She would do anything for him; she had vowed that to both herself and Dumbledore before he had died.

She looked at Harry's sleeping form and knew that somebody wouldn't ever wake up again.

But she would do anything to ensure Harry was the one that always woke back up.

Anything.

—

Everything was dark and she knew only pain.

Hermione was losing her sense of reality with every new blast of pain that flooded every inch of her being and burned her nerves like torches. Her voice was fading more and more with every scream, but she couldn't withhold the wild, desperate shrieks that were tearing out of her raw, bone-dry throat. Her eyes were clouded and all she could see was the blurred figure of the witch who leaned over her, just inches from her face. She could hear Harry screaming her name and pounding the wall, but it was all blocked out by a ringing in her ears.

"What else did you take out of my vault?"

Hermione cried even harder during the respite from any pain, allowed by Bellatrix only so that she could speak. She had given Bellatrix the same answer five times now, a rapid shake of her head 'no'. There was a loud sigh from Bellatrix before another scream of the Cruciatus Curse.

Another brief reprieve, but she was asked nothing this time. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her lip was quivering like she was going to vomit, but she had stopped caring. Frank and Alice hadn't given up and neither would she. Her head lolled to the side and she could see Draco Malfoy with a remorseful look on his face, silvery eyes that showed an apology.

Bellatrix grabbed her face and twisted it towards hers, laying her body over the top of Hermione's petite frame.

"You're doing so very well, little Mudblood. Let's step it up a notch, shall we?" She felt Bellatrix's hands pull up her sleeve and hold her arm in place. There was a searing pain, like fire, as the knife sliced into her flesh. Hermione's voice, that had been struggling to scream, seemed to be renewed at that point. She let out a high-pitched, blood-curdling shriek, tears rolling down her cheeks as her body tried to move away from the pain. "What did you take?" She just furiously shook her head again and the woman sighed, pulling her other sleeve. The icy pain once again filled her, feeling as though each of her nerve endings had been sliced in half.

Bellatrix's weight moved off of her and her head lolled to the side once again, tears dripping down her cheeks. Her body was twitching with the aftershocks of the Cruciatus curse and she could feel warm blood dripping down her arms. Fenrir had a small grin on his face as Bellatrix turned to him.

"You can have her. I need to go to Gringotts."

"Like hell he will." She heard Harry say. She just remained on the floor, letting the fight happen, too tired to keep going. She felt arms grab her and looked up to see Harry grabbing her. "It's okay, Mia. It's okay."

"I love you, brother." She whispered weakly as they apparated away. She missed the look on Harry's face, the look of utter loyalty and love and the strange hope and acceptance that he had a _family_.

"I love you too, Mia. My sister."

—

"We lost." She said lowly, staring into the portrait of the man. Tears washed away the blood from her face and the portrait eyed her wearily. "We had every horcrux, even Harry. We should be—"

"I know. I know." Said the portrait softly.

"Harry and I are the only two left." She said coldly. "We can't win."

"There's always hope, Miss Granger. You just have to look for it in the right place." She refrained from scoffing.

"It's a pretty lie." She said quietly, trying to withhold her anger.

"This is the truth. There are other realities, other times where people can be saved. Where the War can be won." He said. She leaned forward in her chair and watched his pale blue eyes intently.

"You have a contingency plan?"

"Yes."

"Will it save Harry?"

"Not just him. You could save everyone, Miss Granger. You could allow Mr Potter to have everything he has ever desired; a family and a normal life." The cogs whirred in Hermione's brain as she looked up at him, trying to ignore the cold, manipulative eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

"Just me carrying it out? Whatever this… mission is?" She almost missed the cruel twitch of his lips, a small smile at winning over this girl.

"Yes. Harry will be a… liability on your journey. He is a Gryffindor to the bone, as are you, Miss Granger, but he does not understand the vitality of the greater good. He is utterly selfless, he would sacrifice himself for a beetle. Going alone is your only chance for survival, for Harry's survival." She nodded, her mind flickering back to the screams from the Horcrux hunt, the girl that Harry would have died to save, even if she played no major role. She steeled her expression and looked up at him.

"What do I do?"

The portrait of Albus Dumbledore grinned.


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

CHAPTER 1

Hermione Granger had black curls that she always tied into a messy bun on her head, meaning strands of hair were constantly slipping into her eyes. Her angular cheekbones and button nose were covered with a smattering of freckles and her rosy cheeks were the same colour as her plump lips. Even though she was young, only eleven years old, it wasn't doubted that she would grow into a great beauty. She had her mother's whiskey coloured eyes and was prettier than most girls. She could be jaunty and scintillating, but sometimes she came off as brooding and preferring solitude, especially if she didn't like someone. It was undeniable that she was the smartest person at school. She had mastered algebraic equations that an adult would struggle with at the age of six, could speak three languages and always had her nose stuck in her book. Hermione Granger didn't like people and didn't crave popularity the way others did, but she tried her best to be sociable, even if it didn't always work out the way she intended.

She was always a little different from the other children. Certainly unnaturally smarter, unnaturally prettier, but odd things just seemed to occur when she was around. Like when Betty Goodwin had tried to push her over and Hermione had always ended up an inch out of reach, meaning Betty slipped in the mud and ruined her pastel pink dress. Or when she didn't like a haircut her mother had given her and the next day it had grown back exactly the way it had before. Or the way she could make flowers sprout around her and butterflies land on her nose and birds whistle above her.

Still, it surprised her parents when a fierce Scottish woman with the name Professor McGonagall came bearing a letter, an owl and the news that their darling daughter was a witch.

Hermione was even more of a shock to Professor McGonagall, however. When she asked if Hermione was surprised, she just shook her head and said she had dreamt this moment the night before. Before McGonagall could ask what she meant, her parents had begun to bombard her with more questions, about supplies and money and transport. She mentioned it briefly to Albus, who seemed to ponder it for a while before thanking McGonagall and turning back to his food.

They had bought Hermione's supplies on a relatively quiet day in Diagon Alley, more shocked by Hermione's vast knowledge. She seemed to know where everything was, who everyone was, what she needed barely checking her letter.

The only place where she had even seemed vaguely shocked was in Ollivander's. She had been given an 11" wand, made of holly and phoenix feather that the man had described as 'nice and supple'. The only thing that really disturbed her parents about the incident was that the man kept uttering the word 'curious' after she had bought it, especially since it had been on a plush purple cushion in the window, _the only thing in the window_ , collecting dust, unlike the other wands which had been in shelves behind the counter.

They saw their baby off from the station, waving to her avidly and making sure she promised she'd write. They heard a few people call them 'muggles' with sneers on their faces, but the Grangers collectively ignored them. They kissed her on the cheek and watched the train drive away, just as Albus Dumbledore received a letter about the Miss Hermione Granger, who had been consuming his thoughts with her dream about McGonagall's visit, and the wand that had chosen her, a twin to Riddle himself.

These were certainly going to be interesting years.

—

Hermione walked up the corridors quietly, her fingers tracing the mahogany wood gently. She found an empty compartment at the very end and pulled out her book. It was a familiar reminder, Hogwarts; A History, and she relished in the words as she took them in. The door to the compartment opened and she looked up suddenly.

"Hi, can we sit here? Everywhere else is full, you see." Said an excitable boy. He almost reminded her of a puppy, with eyes that were a steely bluish-grey that she remembered clearly from a dream she had had a short time ago, although they were filled with a mirth she had never seen. His hair was long and black, a wide grin taking precedence of his face.

"That's fine." She said gently, moving her bag onto the floor to give the two boys more space. The other was tall, with black hair that seemed to stick up in every direction. He had hazel eyes, hidden by round glasses. He was tall and lanky already, and would certainly tower above her. He seemed to be missing something on his forehead, though, but she couldn't work out what it was.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She said politely, sticking out her hand. James moved to shake it and she gave him a soft smile.

"I'm James Potter, this is—"

"Sirius Black, most humbly at your service." He kissed her hand and she blushed slightly. "What house do you want to go into, then?" He asked eagerly.

"I only learned about Hogwarts a few days ago. I'm afraid I don't know much about the houses, except what I've read." She said, holding up her book. The boys grinned and began to explain each house in extreme detail, doing dramatic reenactments that made her laugh. "Which house do you two want to be in, then?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, like my dad." Said James excitedly, puffing out his chest and beaming at Hermione.

"My whole family's been in Slytherin." He said dejectedly, a sad look overtaking his face.

"Blimey, and I thought you were alright." Said James, laughing slightly as Hermione kicked him softly.

"You aren't your family, Sirius." She said, sitting up and putting her book away, feeling as though she wasn't going to get to read much more. "I asked where you wanted to go, not where you were expected to." A large grin overtook his face and he looked her up and down.

"You're less stuck-up than I expected you to be, Granger." He said.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel good, Black." James snorted and burst into laughter, as did Sirius. "I'm assuming that was supposed to be a compliment."

"Yeah. And in answer to your question, I think I would like to be in Gryffindor, even if it means putting up with this tosser." He pointed at James. Hermione laughed at the affronted look on his face and smiled at the two of them.

"So far, you two do seem to be the only negative about Gryffindor." She laughed again at the shocked looks on their faces as the door to their compartment opened again.

There was a boy covered with scars. He had sandy brown hair and amber eyes. His clothes looked cared for, if a little shabby. He was much taller than her and seemed extremely awkward.

"Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full." He said quietly.

"God, yes. Then when I won't be annoyed to death by these two. I will warn you, they have, in the fifteen minutes I've known them, proven themselves to be public menaces."

"Love you, Granger." Said Sirius, batting his eyelashes at her. He smiled as he sat down and stuck out his hand to her.

"Remus Lupin." He said, his bright amber eyes showing awkwardness and almost fear of rejection. She shook his hand gently and introduced herself.

"Hermione Granger. This is —"

"Sirius Black, at your service." He shook Remus's hand so enthusiastically it looked as though he were about to rip his arm off.

"I'm James Potter. What house do you want to be in?" He said, just as energetic and enthusiastic as Sirius.

It turned out he wanted to be in Gryffindor too, although he didn't think Ravenclaw would be too bad. They had just broached the subject of Hermione being stuck-up again, thanks to her defending her bookish tendencies, when James spoke up.

"I know. If you're not stuck-up, Granger, you'll hang upside down until the next person comes into our compartment." Sirius fake 'ooohed' and Hermione laughed.

"Why don't we make it a real competition, Potter? Whoever is the first out of us two to chicken out owes the other a knut."

"A sickle."

"A galleon."

"Deal." Both of them scrambled to sit upside down, Hermione's legs hooked into the luggage holder, since she didn't trust that James wouldn't try to sabotage her. She glared at him from where she was lying and he glared back. She just heard Remus sigh and Sirius laugh, until the conversation went on as it had been.

She had immediately loved these three boys. Remus was quiet and reserved, but he was funny and kind-hearted and had given Hermione a couple of his Chocolate Frog cards when she hadn't known what they were. They had a really fascinating conversation about books that the others had interrupted, much to Remus's annoyance. He was a little awkward and often seemed as though he couldn't believe that he was their new friend. James, however, was very brash and bold and it was obvious he was going to be a Gryffindor. He was messy and noisy, but reminded her of something like home and she instantly liked him more for that. He was funny, too, and she would be getting a galleon from him soon, which made her like him more. Sirius was in a whole different league to James, although they were as crazy as each other. He was funny, although some of his jokes were a lot wittier than James's were. He was kind and good, although he hid a certain brokenness behind his eyes. He made funny faces and told her jokes as they walked around and she found herself making just as many back. All three of them were seemingly intent on making each other happy and less nervous and she loved that about them.

The door to the carriage opened and James looked over.

There was a girl with pin-straight red hair and bright green eyes, who was fairly pretty. Behind her was a boy with greasy black hair and a hook nose. Both of them seemed to survey the carriage; the boy seemed to want to hold back and go somewhere else but the girl bounced in, bright eyes.

"Hello, I'm Lily Evans. This is Severus Snape. Can we sit in here? Everywhere else is full." James immediately scrambled up and ran his hands through his hair, trying to look suave.

"Yeah, that's cool." He said, putting on a slightly deeper voice. Hermione dropped back down, trying to stifle her laugh at James, burying her face into her sleeve to try and cease her frantic giggles. Sirius was doing the same thing, although he wasn't trying to hide them.

"Sorry about these three, Hermione and James have been hanging upside down for the last hour and a half and Sirius is well… Sirius." That made Hermione laugh harder and she noticed Snape's inquisitive, but also disapproving face. James just watched Lily

"Oh, could you be anymore obvious, Jamie?" She whispered so that Lily didn't hear them. He just scowled at her and made a rude hand gesture, which made the three of them burst into laughter.

"So, Hermione, what house do you want to be in?" Asked Lily from where she was sat on the other side of the compartment.

"I'm thinking Gryffindor, like the rest of these idiots. Ravenclaw doesn't seem too bad though." She said lightly. "How about you?"

"Well, my mum was in Ravenclaw. My dad's a muggle, which is, obviously, why I have a muggle surname. But, Sev wants us to go into Slytherin." James and Sirius recoiled slightly, but Hermione kicked them both discreetly.

"I'm sure that'll be great. I'm not nearly sneaky enough to get into Slytherin, I must be the clumsiest person on the earth. But I've heard the common room is beautiful." She said to Lily, a bright smile on her face.

"Really?" Asked Lily, her eyes lit up.

"Well, it's meant to be in the Dungeon, next to the Black Lake, which must be gorgeous. And you're meant to be able to see the Merpeople and the Giant Squid and the Grindylows that all live there." She barely knew how she knew that, it wasn't in any of her books. It was like a distant memory from a dream.

"That should be awesome." Lily said, eyes bright. Snape gave her a look, although it was less imbued with hatred and more with wonder. "Mum told be about the Ravenclaw common room. You have to answer a riddle to get in."

"Must be a pain, though, if it's late or you're tired." Hermione said nonchalantly. The boys were all looking on with confusion at how well the two girls were getting on. "Ah, well now I hope you're in Gryffindor with me. These lot'll all be bunking together and I'll be all alone." She said, pretending to faint onto Remus, who laughed at her antics along with Lily, James and Sirius. Snape sent her another dirty look at that comment and spoke for perhaps the first time.

"What did you say your name was again?" He asked coldly.

"Hermione Granger. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She said, a voice just as cold as his was. She could hear her boys silently laughing at her sudden change in demeanour.

"Granger. Not a wizarding name, is it? You're a halfblood like Lily and I?" He asked.

"No, both of my parents are muggles. They're dentists. They're like healers for your teeth." She said to James and Sirius, who both looked confused.

"A muggleborn? You don't get many of them these days." All three boys stopped watching the conversation and moved closer to Hermione, as if to protect her. Lily looked shocked and furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Something wrong with that, Snape?" She asked nonchalantly, though her eyes were flashing dangerously.

"I just find it funny that a Black is consorting with someone who, in his eyes, has such low birth status." Her eyes flickered to Sirius, an almost hurt look in her eyes, until she turned back to Snape.

"I'm not surprised you can't keep your nose out of other people's business when you have one as large as that." James guffawed behind her and she narrowed her eyes further at Snape, a hand resting on the wand in her pocket. "Say one word about my parents, my blood or my 'low birth status' again and I'll make sure you never speak again."

"I'd watch your back, Granger. Some people won't have your best interests at heart." Said Snape, a cold sneer on his face.

"Is that a threat, Snape?"

"Merely an observation." He said, turning his back and grabbing Lily's hand, pulling her out of the carriage and beginning to walk away.

"Yeah, you know what I'm observing, Snape? You're a huge git." She shouted down the corridor to Snape and Lily's retreating figures. She slammed the door behind her and sat down in one of the seats, silently fuming.

"Hermione, you know I don't believe what my family —" Began Sirius, a worried look on his face.

"You know, Sirius, if you really hated muggleborns, you'd have left by now. It's fine." She said, a small smile on her face as she saw the relief wash over all of the boys faces.

"Bloody hell, Granger, you really aren't stuck up." Said James, now beginning to laugh, which they all eventually joined in on.

"Speaking of, Jamie, you owe me a galleon." He tossed one over and she caught it, kissing the coin. "I'll frame this. The first of many times I've ever beaten the almighty James Potter in a bet."

"First and only time you'll ever beat me."

"Alright, whoever wins more bets by the end of the year gets —"

"Bloody hell, will you two be like this all year?" Asked Remus, massaging his head.

"I'd bet on it, Remus." Said Sirius, which made all four of them descend into laughter.

And just like that, the Marauders were formed.

—

"The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." She said, giving a pointed look to James and Sirius, who had managed to smear chocolate all over each other during an impromptu fight on the train.

"Are you okay, 'Mione?" Asked Sirius quietly after McGonagall had left. She jumped at the sound of his voice, but nodded nonetheless.

"I'm just tired. Are you okay?" She saw him chew his lip slightly before nodding, although his eyes looked a little downcast. She decided changing the topic would be her best chance at distracting him before the sorting ceremony. "How did you and Jamie meet? You two seemed thick as thieves."

"We're cousins. Although we'd never met before. Maybe being best friends is in our blood." She laughed, but his words were playing on her head.

Maybe it's in _our_ blood.

"Follow me." Said McGonagall sharply. Sirius grabbed Hermione as James grabbed Remus and they walked into the hall. Her eyes kept straying to the ceiling, which was like a galaxy, smothered with stars.

There was an old hat sat on the chair, but Hermione didn't feel herself looking at it in surprise. Not even when the brim of the hat opened and it began to sing.

 _"_ _So you want to know where you belong,_

 _Well I can tell you that,_

 _To find your house for future years_

 _Just wear the Sorting Hat_

 _You may belong in Gryffindor_

 _Where dwell the brave and daring_

 _Their loyalty and chivalry_

 _Are traits they find worth sharing_

 _Or perhaps in Ravenclaw_

 _Where knowledge is their yearning_

 _Wit and creativity_

 _Is their true path for learning_

 _Or maybe being Hufflepuff_

 _Is best suited to your toils_

 _Their dedication and compassion_

 _Shall bring many spoils_

 _Or finally in Slytherin_

 _Could be where you are placed_

 _Their cunning and ambition_

 _Shall vanquish dangers they may face_

 _But whatever house you're placed in,_

 _No matter your role there_

 _Don't allow old rivalries_

 _To bring pain and despair_

 _There may be evil rising,_

 _And there may be hatred brewing_

 _But falling apart instead of working together_

 _Shall be your undoing_

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

There were cheers and shouts among the younger students, but the older students and the teachers seemed to be sharing worried glances. It seemed that messages like that weren't often given out, especially not by the Sorting Hat. Hermione looked to her friends and saw Remus and James laughing, but Sirius seemed distracted with the floor.

"Abbot, Darcy." Said McGonagall. The hat was placed onto the girl's head and it immediately shouted out 'HUFFLEPUFF!' A few more people went up and she could feel Sirius get tenser and tenser beside her.

"You aren't your family, Sirius. And even if you get put in Slytherin, you aren't evil. And you won't be getting rid of me that easily." He reached for her hand after she finished talking and squeezed it.

"Thanks, 'Mione." He whispered back. "And if you get tossed in the snake pit, you won't get rid of me either." She smiled affectionately and he took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself.

"Black, Sirius." Whispers immediately broke out within the hall, mainly from the Slytherin table, who were looking excited to gain another Black.

"You aren't your family." She whispered again in his ear, squeezing his hand gently. He gave her a winning smile and sauntered up to the stool, smiling confidently at her. The hat, unlike with the others, sat on his head for a couple of minutes. Sirius looked more and more relaxed as time went on until suddenly the hat shouted out 'GRYFFINDOR!' Everyone was suspended in silence for a few moments until she, James and Remus started clapping and whistling loudly. The other Gryffindors soon caught on and Sirius winked at Hermione as he swaggered past, who smiled widely at him.

"Evans, Lily." James seemed to perk up at the mention of her name and she flounced up, red hair billowing around her. Hermione subconsciously checked her skirt length, as Lily's looked a lot longer than hers, but watched as the hat got placed on her head. After a couple more minutes, the hat shouted 'GRYFFINDOR', which made both James and Hermione very happy, though for very different reasons. After a few more people, Hermione knew she was next.

"Granger, Hermione." She walked up, placing the hat onto her head gently.

"Hello, Miss Granger." Crooned the hat into her ear, "Such a pretty mind. I've not seen one like this in a long time. Greater than Riddle himself. Perhaps even rivalling Dumbledore's. A lot of answers hidden in here, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves. You have a great destiny." The hat seemed to chuckle and she tried to remove the inquisitive expression from her face. "Now, where to put you? Heart of a Gryffindor, mind of a Ravenclaw, ambition of a Slytherin and compassion of a Hufflepuff. I've not seen a mind like this in a long time."

 _'_ _So it's my choice?'_ She thought. The hat chuckled.

"You'd fit in well anywhere. You're suited to any house. So, yes, you choose." She looked up and saw Sirius grinning at her and making a big show of crossing his fingers. Her eyes flickered over to James and Remus, who she knew would be getting into Gryffindor too, no doubt about it. They were whispering to each other, smiling and laughing.

 _'_ _Gryffindor.'_ The hat chuckled again.

"Are you sure? You'd do well in Slytherin. Perhaps Ravenclaw is a better choice."

 _'_ _I'm positive. 100%. I want to be in Gryffindor.'_ The old hat chuckled into her ear again.

"I knew you'd choose Gryffindor. When it happens, come and speak to me again. It does get boring during the year." She nodded very slightly and the hat looked up, stopped whispering in her ears. "Well, better be GRYFFINDOR!" There were avid cheers from the Gryffindor table as she took off the Sorting Hat. She turned around to put the hat on the stool and saw Dumbledore raise his glass and wink at her. She smiled back before walking past James and Remus, grinning at their cheering faces as she made her way towards Sirius, who was whistling really loudly.

"Bloody hell, Granger, that was nearly ten minutes." Said Sirius, still laughing.

"What can I say, Black, I'm a complex girl." He snorted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad you're here." He whispered in her ear.

"I'm glad you're here too. Anyway, we're halfway there now. Two down, two to go." They looked at Remus and James and grinned at them.

"Lupin, Remus." Announced McGonagall after a few names. She and Sirius had a competition of crossing more fingers for Remus to get into Gryffindor (Sirius won because he managed to cross his index finger, middle finger and ring finger in one). She saw Remus smile a few times, but looked worried the rest of the time, until he muttered something that was indistinguishable. The hat seemed to straighten up and shout 'GRYFFINDOR', which Remus seemed immensely proud about. He patted James on the shoulder lightly as he sat down on the other side of Hermione, who instantly pulled him into a tight hug. He seemed shocked, but hugged her back anyway.

"Pettigrew, Peter." Also became a Gryffindor and offered Hermione a timid smile as she congratulated him on getting in. He was a small boy, fairly attractive, but nothing to write home about. He seemed a little mousy and a little scared, but still he had managed to get into Gryffindor, so Hermione was kind to him.

"Potter, James." Was the next name. James swaggered up, winking to McGonagall and placed the hat on his head. It had barely touched one of his hairs before it announced he was in 'GRYFFINDOR'. Lily groaned slightly, but Sirius, who had spent the last few cheers working out how to wolf-whistle, managed to execute it this time. James swaggered over and sat beside Sirius, opposite Hermione. He grinned at her and she grinned back.

"Snape, Severus." Was shouted and the hat had barely touched his greasy hair before it shouted 'SLYTHERIN'. He gave Lily an almost repentant look and walked over to the house of cheering snakes.

As Zabini, Kyle was finally sorted into Ravenclaw, Dumbledore stood up, a kind smile on his face.

"Well, welcome back to another glorious year at Hogwarts. May I take some time to go over the items banned by Mister Filch, our caretaker." What seemed like hours later he finished and looked at the four of them sat together on the Gryffindor table. "Now, may I remind some of our… newer students and older, of course, that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to students." He looked to the rest of the hall and smiled. "Now, we have a new DADA professor this year, Mister Prewett." He gestured to his side and a boy with messy red hair that really reminded Hermione of someone she couldn't put her finger on stood up and waved. "Let me remind you to have fun, to learn as much as you can and leave you with these words. Salmon, carjack, efficacy and emotions. Let the feast begin."

Food materialised on the plates before them and she scoffed at James and Sirius, who already had food loaded onto their plates. Lily was making conversation with some of the other girls a bit further down the table, which left Hermione with the three boys. They were just laughing about James's eating habits when a head popped up out of the table, making Peter next to her choke on his bit of chicken. She patted him on the back gently and looked up to the transparent figure before her.

"Hullo. I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Gryffindor house ghost." He said, giving a polite bow to Hermione. She curtsied back slightly, which made the other boys laugh, when James clicked his fingers.

"Of course! You're Nearly Headless Nick!" He exclaimed. The ghost sighed and seemed to sag down slightly muttering something along the lines of ' _one year, can someone not mention that for one year'._

"Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Asked Peter loudly, the first real words she had heard him say. He sighed, grabbing his left ear and pulling it sharply. His head fell completely to one side, held on only by a little sinew. Peter looked like he was going to be sick and Hermione tried to stop Sirius and James from getting a better look by standing on the benches.

"Anyway, I hope you earn us lots of points for Gryffindor. Slytherin have been ahead of us for a while. The Bloody Baron's been rubbing it in for ages now. Goodbye and have a lovely first night."

"Goodbye, Sir Nicholas. I hope you have a lovely night too." The ghost grinned back at her as he began to float away to the rest of the first year girls.

"Are you gonna make friends with everyone you meet?" Asked Sirius exasperatedly, although the fondness was evident in his tone.

"More people to testify your innocence or to work with you if you want to cause trouble." She said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice, which made Remus laugh. The four fell back into easy conversation, with Peter looking like he wanted to join in but was too afraid, so he ended up talking to some second years.

"First year Gryffindors with me, please." Said a prefect loudly. She grabbed Remus and followed him out, James and Sirius trailing behind them. She was looking at the portraits, who waved at her as she walked past them, when they came to a sudden halt. "This is the portrait of the Fat Lady. Now, you give her the password and she lets you in to the Gryffindor common room. Do try to keep this a secret or Slytherin'll fill it with Dungbombs again. It didn't stop smelling for two months. Anyway, the password is 'Bowtruckles'. The portrait swung open and the small group wandered in.

Hermione couldn't help feeling very much at home in the red and gold mess, with the roaring fireplace in the background. She smiled very slightly.

"Boys are on the right, girls on the left. Trunks'll be in there. You have to be in your dorms by ten tonight and it's nine-thirty now. Have a nice night." Shouted the prefect, disappearing back out of the portrait hole. The four of them claimed some seats right next to the fire and Hermione sighed as the heat wrapped around her.

"You okay, Hermione?" Asked Remus softly.

"I'm good." She lied, which she knew he detected.

"Tell me." He whispered gently.

"It was just something the hat said to me. I'm trying to work out what it meant." She said lowly, glancing to where Sirius and James were bugging Lily Evans.

"You can trust me, 'Mione." She looked up into his amber eyes and sighed.

"He said I have a lot of answers hidden in my head. That I have a great destiny. What the hell did he mean?" Remus gave her a one-armed hug.

"Well I don't doubt it for a minute. You're bloody amazing, so it's only natural that you'd have a great destiny. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Your destiny could be like, I don't know, finding a cure for some disease." She smiled fondly and leaned into him more.

"Thank you, Remus." She missed the ecstatic look on his face as she leaned into him, obviously shocked at her blind trust and appreciation of him. They were quickly interrupted by James and Sirius's arrival.

"You'll never guess what James did, 'Mione." Said Sirius, eyes bright with child-like amusement.

"Do I want to know?" James's ears were flushed and Sirius was on the verge of cackling.

"Definitely. He asked out Evans." Remus groaned but Hermione grinned.

"And she said?"

"That he was an arrogant toe-rag." Hermione snorted, which made Sirius burst back into laughter. James looked like he was about to storm away, but she stood up and tried to wrap her arm around his shoulder, which was hard because she was so short and he was already much taller than her. Sirius continued giggling to himself and she sighed.

"Don't worry, Jamie. She'll come around. And if she doesn't, I'm sure you'll find some other pretty girl to sweep you off your feet. Like Sirius." She murmured the last part so that only James heard and he fell onto the couch in laughter. Sirius grinned up at her from where he was sitting on another couch and she fell onto it beside him.

"Well done. He'd have been moping around for ages." He whispered lowly in her ear. She smiled at him and the four of them fell back into conversation, laughing about what tomorrow would bring.

"You better not spend an hour on your hair tomorrow, Sirius, I want to get to breakfast relatively early." This made Sirius look affronted, making the others laugh.

"I'll forgive you for that, 'Mione, you're obviously delirious from exhaustion."

"Are you sure, Sirius?" Asked James, still laughing.

"Hermione, you coming up to bed?" Shouted Lily. She stood up, ruffling Sirius's hair, which made him scowl, as she grabbed her jacket from on the couch.

"Night, 'Mione." Said Sirius.

"Sleep tight." Said Remus, breathless from laughter.

"And don't let the Pygmy Puffs bite." Said James between giggles.

"Thanks for the warning. Night." She said, winking at the three of them as she linked arms with Lily and giggled as they walked up the stairs.

"She's gonna be the death of us." Said Remus with a smile on his face.

They didn't know that, in truth, it would be the exact opposite.


	3. Chapter 2: A Force To Be Reckoned With

CHAPTER TWO

Hermione's night was restless. Despite Remus's words that had calmed her down at the time and the distraction of James and Sirius, the Sorting Hat's words were upsetting her. She wondered what authority the Sorting Hat had over her future, whether he was all-knowing or had just seen something within her that she hadn't discovered yet.

She groaned and stood up, knowing that she wasn't going to get much more sleep that night. The other girls were still sleeping as the sun was only just beginning to rise. She walked into the shower and washed her black locks, allowing the heat of the water to pierce her mind into alertness. She pulled on her uniform and plaited her hair so that it fell in two long braids down her back. She brushed her teeth and grabbed her schoolbag, walking down to the common room.

It was practically empty down there. She sighed, settling into one of the red armchairs and pulling out her Transfiguration textbook. It looked the most interesting lesson by far and she hadn't been bored by the text yet, even though she had read it about six times. She had just finished the third chapter when someone grabbed her shoulders and shouted 'BOO!' She screamed and turned around, whacking whoever it was with the book.

There were a few snorts and Hermione looked at the culprit.

Sirius.

"I am so sorry!" She whispered, although he was laughing.

"Bloody hell, Hermione." James said, red in the face from laughing. She looked back and saw Remus doubled over in laughter.

"Are you okay? Oh, bloody hell, I've not broken your nose, have I?" Sirius rolled his eyes at her frantic worrying and sat down next to her.

"I'm fine, 'Mione. Genuinely." He said, still chuckling slightly.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking at his face as if to check she hadn't broken it with her 1000 page textbook.

"Well, now that you mention it, I am hungry." He said, smiling hopefully at her.

"Breakfast?" Remus offered.

"Breakfast." They all agreed, opening the door to the common room and walking out. They finally arrived to the Great Hall late. Hermione claimed it was because of Sirius's hair, but it actually turned out being because they got lost three times, despite Remus's claims he knew where he was going. James also fell into a trick step and it took them fifteen minutes and a very advanced charm from Hermione to get him out.

When they finally got there, the boys began gorging themselves with food whilst Hermione poured herself the biggest cup of coffee in existence and nibbled on some toast. The conversation was still easy, filled with excitement about the classes and ideas for pranks that the boys had been plotting.

The owl post arrived at that moment, a large package being delivered to James, a slightly smaller one for Remus. Hermione received nothing as her parents were still wary of owls and if she really thought about it, the whole concept of magic itself. Sirius, on the other hand, received a smoking red envelope. He flinched when it landed in front of him and turned deathly white.

"What is that?" She asked quietly, staring at the smoke curling out of the envelope warily.

"A Howler." Whispered Remus. She was about to ask what it was when Sirius picked it up and opened it with shaking hands. The Gryffindor students surrounding them were watching in silence as he carefully snapped the wax seal.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! HOW DARE YOU! NOT ONLY A GRYFFINDOR, BUT ASSOCIATING WITH BLOOD TRAITORS, HALF BLOODS AND THAT FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD WHOR—" Sirius's eyes opened from where they had been squeezed shut as the screaming message stopped. He didn't believe that his mother would stop just like that.

Hermione watched Sirius worriedly as the letter began to scream. His hands were clenching the wood of the table so hard they had gone white and he was biting his lip so anxiously she was afraid that it would draw blood. He was shaking in anger and, she guessed, fear. James and Remus had also tensed as the Black matriarch continued her tirade.

Hermione sighed, lifting the bowl of porridge Remus was eating and dropped it onto the screaming red envelope. The noise stopped instantly and she sat back down, taking another sip of coffee. Sirius opened his eyes and looked down at the porridge splattered over the table and then up at Hermione, who everyone was staring at with wide eyes.

"I'm surprised that worked." She said off-handedly as she took another sip of the strong drink, scrunching up her nose slightly at the bitter taste. "Remus, be a dear and pass the sugar, would you?" James snorted, breaking the silence that had enveloped the Great Hall. He fell into very unattractive laughter, which made Remus and Hermione laugh. Sirius was just staring at her with wide eyes and an ever wider smile.

That was the moment Sirius Black decided he was in love with Hermione Granger.

—

They managed to find Transfiguration after much trouble as they let James navigate them there. Professor McGonagall was a stern teacher and would obviously not tolerate latecomers. The four of them made it in and took a seat around one of the desks and looked up to the front desk. A small cat sat on the desk with odd markings, like spectacles around it's eyes. It eyed them coldly as Sirius sighed.

"Thank Merlin that McGonagall isn't here yet." He said.

"She'd have our bollocks." Agreed James, sounding slightly breathless from the run they had to try and reach the lesson in time.

"Might be a little difficult for her to do that to me." Commented Hermione off-handedly which made Remus snort.

"Who's cat is that?" Asked James, looking at McGonagall's desk. Remus's head turned in unison with Hermione's and they both looked at each other in realisation. Lily Evans tutted in annoyance at the foursome and Sirius's eyes widened slightly.

"Well, shit." Remus muttered. The cat leapt forwards from the desk and a very strict looking McGonagall was stood before them.

"Well, who cares to explain?" She asked, her Scottish accent cold and harsh as she looked at them.

"That was bloody amazing, Professor!" Said James, looking up at her with child-like innocence and awe.

"Thank you for the sentiment, Mr Potter, but I don't believe that was the question I asked. Must I transfigure one of you into a watch so that you know what time you must arrive for lessons?"

"I'm very sorry, Professor, but we got lost." Said Sirius in a sweet voice, blinking up at Professor McGonagall.

"Perhaps a map, then?" She said humourlessly. "Four points from Gryffindor." Lily gave them a harsh glare but James was too distracted to notice her.

"A map would be bloody useful…" He muttered quietly enough so that only Hermione, Sirius and Remus heard.

"Now, Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Said Professor McGonagall, staring at the foursome. Hermione tried not to laugh at the simultaneously proud and offended face of James. "We'll be starting with something simple today, but it is still advanced. I've never had a student to get this in the first lesson."

Hermione looked down as a matchstick appeared in front of her.

"You'll be working to change your matchsticks into needles. I'll be surveying your progress. Consult your textbooks if you need any more instructions." With that, McGonagall began walking around the classroom, inspecting each person and their wand movements.

Hermione hadn't moved. She couldn't help but feel as though she had learned this before. It was odd, really, the sense of déjà vu coursing through her.

—

 _"_ _Harry, it's not working." Said the red-haired boy that she vaguely remembered was called 'Ron' from the train. He was whiny and annoying and she couldn't understand why Harry, who seemed so mild-mannered and quiet and, frankly, well-behaved, was hanging around with the ginger parasite._

 _"_ _McGonagall said no one had ever gotten it the first lesson, Ron." Said Harry quietly, as though he were afraid of angering his friend._

 _"_ _I guess. Hey, guess what?" As the two boys fell into mindless chatter, Hermione felt herself brightening. If she could get her matchstick to change the first time, people might finally like her and want to be her friend. She pulled out her wand, marvelling at the pretty runic designs that ran up it and focussed on the matchstick turning into a needle._

 _"_ _Well done, Miss Granger. Fifty points to Gryffindor for breaking my own record!" Said McGonagall's voice, interrupting her spell. She looked down and withheld herself from gasping._

 _She had done it._

 _She had bloody well done it!_

 _In place of the little matchstick lay a pointy little silver needle. McGonagall's eyes were gleaming as she looked down at her and Hermione grinned back._

 _—_

"Miss Granger?" Said McGonagall's voice, breaking her out of her reverie. She looked up and sae McGonagall's eyes watching her coldly. "Did you have a nice daydream?"

"Splendid, Professor, albeit a little confusing." She replied brightly, smiling at McGonagall, who did not look amused at all. All three boys were fighting down grins, as to not further anger the strict Professor.

"Let me see your work, Miss Granger." She said coldly, watching Hermione critically. Hermione looked at her wand and saw it differently. Instead of having a dark brown wood grain and pretty runic symbols, it was a reddish-brown. It had a small crystal at one end, but apart from that, remained unembellished. "Anytime today would be nice, Miss Granger."

"Of course, Professor." She replied brightly, waving her wand and picturing a needle. There was a gasp and she looked down, a large grin taking precedence over her face. McGonagall's eyes were twinkling, just as they had done in her vision.

A needle lay in place of her matchstick.

"Fifty points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for breaking a school record." She beamed and nodded her head to McGonagall. She moved on and Hermione looked to the three boys who were all gaping at her.

"How the—" Began James.

"Bloody hell—" Continued Remus.

"Did you do that?" Said Sirius.

She giggled at their synchronisation and tapped the side of her nose twice.

"A magician never reveals her secrets." Remus laughed and explained the muggle saying to James and Sirius, who were looking at her with confused expressions on their faces.

She couldn't reveal her secrets even if she wanted to.

She didn't know what they were.

The 'Visions' continued throughout the day, like memories of another life she once had, but they hadn't been as vivid as the one she had had in Transfiguration. They were merely glimpses, little flickers in her brain . She knew exactly how to cast Wingardium Leviosa before she even tried, which made Professor Flitwick's eyes gleam, she could identify a great number of potions and ingredients, much to the delight of Professor Slughorn, whose face seemed to light up more and more every time her hand rose to answer a question, she even knew the directions to most classes.

It was disconcerting to say the least.

She tried to play off her seeming omniscience, although people were still noticing. She pretended she had read the textbooks so many times that it was all ingrained in her skull. Lily Evans was growing increasingly more and more annoyed with her as time went on. She could feel the dirty looks piercing her from the precocious little redhead, but managed to widely ignore them.

She hoped she'd find the answer soon.

—

The days blended into months and before she knew it, it was Hallowe'en.

"'Mione!" She could feel somebody shaking her awake and kicked her leg out.

"Piss off, Lily, I don't care if Snape killed your dog, let me sleep." She mumbled into a pillow. She heard someone snort and opened her eyes blearily.

"You fell asleep in here last night whilst we were planning our grand prank." Said Sirius excitedly. She just yawned and nodded, stretching as she stood up and walked over to where Remus and James were whispering with each other. Peter was still asleep, the sound of his snores filling the room. They smiled as she and Sirius sat down and passed some parchments over to the two of them.

"So? D'you think we're all set?" Asked James as she scanned over them. James and Sirius had decided that they were going to be unforgettable at Hogwarts. They decided to use Hermione's affinity and skill with magic to their advantage by making the four of them the greatest pranksters that Hogwarts would ever lay eyes on, and their debut was to be that night at the Hallowe'en Feast.

"I think we are. Except one thing," she said, looking at their worried faces, "We need a name! We can't just be James, Sirius, Remus and Hermione, you know? It's not exactly catchy." Remus laughed as he pulled out parchment and a quill.

"But the actual prank is fine?" She nodded, which made James and Sirius instantly relax.

"Don't worry, we'll still be the greatest pranksters that Hogwarts will ever see. We just need a name." She said. They fell into silence until James clicked his fingers.

"JSRH!" He said, loud enough to have woken Peter had he not slept like the dead.

"Absolutely not." Said Sirius, a look of disgust marring his face.

"The Prank Gang."

"No."

"Pranksters."

"A bit generalised, don't you think?" Said Remus, a smile on his face. "I'm having a shower before breakfast." He stood up and walked to the bathroom.

"Trickster Twosome."

"Well that would be splendid if there weren't four of us." Sirius deadpanned, looking James in the eye.

"Boys." Said James wearily.

"That's the worst one yet, Jamie." Said Hermione, beginning to tie her hair in a messy bun so that it stopped falling in her eyes.

"Well, I'm not exactly getting any help here." He said, crossing his arms and pouting. Hermione rolled her eyes and continued looking through the notes the boys had made.

"Oi!" Shouted Remus from the bathroom, "Which one of you prats has marauded my shampoo?" Hermione and Sirius laughed as James jumped on the top of a table.

"That's it!" Shouted James gleefully.

"What, Prats?" She asked, giggling slightly.

"No, the Marauders." They fell into silence until Sirius spoke.

"I like it, mate."

"Yeah, so do I." Hermione agreed, making the grin on James's face widen.

"Bloody brilliant. Now can one of you gits find my shampoo?" Shouted Remus from the bathroom.

And so the Marauders was formed.

—

The Great Hall was cast into silence. A horde of bats descended from the stormy night sky, making the candles inside the pumpkins flutter. Hermione laughed as the three boys gorged themselves on sweets — Remus especially so with chocolate, which surprised everyone.

"It's go time." She whispered conspiratorially across the table. Sirius mock-saluted her and slid out of his chair, closely followed by James. "Come on. The spell is _Finite Incantatem_ , remember?" Remus nodded and they both made their way to the doors of the Great Hall just as James and Sirius snuck back in with the fireworks.

"Finite Incantatem!" She and Remus shouted at the same time. All the candles in the Hall went out instantly, accompanied by several screams.

"Incendio!" She heard Sirius whisper and so it began. Hermione and Remus had charmed fireworks that James had asked his parents to supply him with, to say messages and pictures and to explode in varieties of colours. Sirius and James were the design team, but they did manage to charm a few fireworks themselves.

A giant pumpkin firework filled the hall at that moment, which made many people gasp in awe as it exploded in the shape of a bat. There were cats and owls and toads, along with stereotypical witches and cauldrons and a particularly advanced charm that looked like the caretaker, Mr Filch, that James had spent a few hours designing. After about ten minutes of fireworks, a final one came up, reading:

 _'_ _Have a Happy Hallowe'en from the Marauders'_

This firework didn't explode into sparks like the others did. Instead, it exploded into confetti, smothering the Great Hall just as the lights came on. Everyone was laughing and clapping, unaware that they had been enchanted with a Sticking Charm from Hermione, so the red and gold confetti wouldn't come off for a week.

"Thank you very much to our elusive Marauders for a delightful show." Said Dumbledore, a knowing smile on his face as he looked directly at Hermione and Remus. McGonagall, however, seemed to have her eyes narrowed on James and Sirius. She and Remus made their way over and Sirius pulled her into a tight hug.

"It worked!" He whispered jubilantly. She laughed and looked up at him.

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"Miss Granger, Messrs. Potter, Lupin, Black, that was some advanced spell-work." Said Flitwick, a delighted smile on his face. The four of them grinned at the man who was covered from head to toe in red and gold confetti. "Quite marvellous, yes, for four eleven year olds."

"It won't be so marvellous, Filius, when you find out about the Sticking Charm they put on the confetti." Sirius and James snorted behind her at the sight of McGonagall, who looked like an odd sort of chicken.

"A Sticking Charm? Why, that's fourth year work! Outstanding! Thirty points to Gryffindor!" He announced happily.

"And thirty points from Gryffindor for disrupting a week of school. And detention, all for of you, with me tomorrow night." She leaned forwards to the four of them, eyes gleaming. "Although, I will say it was some amazing spell-work for first years."

And so the Marauders became a force to be reckoned with.


End file.
